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CHAPTER 1
SARAH
Being surrounded by family is the best. All the smiling faces around me help to keep my head in the present, where it belongs. I don’t need to be sucked into the past, where fear lives, a place I get trapped in far too easily. It’s not like I knew pain by the hands of those in charge of The Community, the cult where I grew up, but I always knew there were hands just waiting to grab me in the sinister corners of our existence.
Before my life could be consumed by the men in charge at The Community, which would mean my body would be given to a husband I didn’t choose, we were saved. I was so close to my soul being lost to the greed and the perversion of men because at 15 the men were starting to notice me. I tried to blend in, to hide, but I could feel their leering eyes, their impure thoughts and desires, all over my skin like an oily caress.
Once we were taken out of the cinderblock compound, I learned what a true family is, one bound by choice more than blood. I found out what a true community is, as well. One where fear isn’t used to shape it, but love and understanding is the foundation.
My sisters and I were saved nine years ago, and my sisters have shaken off the trauma of our upbringing with seemingly a lot more ease than I have. Chloe, my eldest sister, was the one who had one leg in the cult and one leg out. It is because of her and her relationship with Higgins Security and Ryder that we were given our freedom. Chloe and Ryder have been happily married since then and have built a beautiful family, one I adore.
Ruth, the next eldest of my sisters, was the next to find her forever. I look across the expanse of the field where the Fourth of July party is going on to see her husband, Micah, holding onto her from behind. Ruth has a huge smile on her face as she looks at her kids who are playing with the rest of the family’s little ones. Micah came into Ruth’s life two years after our rescue, just as we were ready to leave the halfway house which specialized in trauma because it was time for us to integrate into the outside world.
Then there’s my youngest sister, Genesis. Last year, Genesis found her forever with Stone. My youngest sister wasn’t touched by the darkness of The Community the same way the rest of us were because we shielded her as much as possible. We wanted her to be able to find the light instead of jumping at all the danger in the dark.
When she found her forever with Stone, who is haunted by his time in the military, I started to wonder if we were effective in shielding Genesis from the reality of growing up in a cult. She had always been the bubbliest of the four of us, but now I can see some of it was an act because she’s allowed it to fall away in the face of true happiness.
A pang of hope mixed with jealousy hits my heart. I’m not sure that I’ll ever find what all the people around me have found. I’m 24 and I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve never allowed a man to get close to me. How will I know I can trust him and his intentions? What if he only intends to use me, just like The Community men wanted to do?
Before I can get too lost in the dark thoughts swirling through my head, an arm is thrown around my shoulders and I look up into eyes alight with mischief. I can’t help but grin at Troy, a tattoo artist at Banks Ink. and a member of my huge and out of control family.
I tease him softly, “What are you up to?”
“Who me?” He tries for innocent, but anyone who has ever met the man knows better. “I was just checking up on my favorite little sister.”
I hear a scoff come from the other side of him to find Troy’s youngest blood related sister, Tenley, standing there. “Nice, real nice,” her words are dripping with sarcasm, but no real heat.
“Ten,” Troy shouts without a care in the world, “I didn’t see you there.”
“Clearly,” her tone is icy, but she has a smile on her face. “I came to find you to let you know Ian is ready to help with the fireworks.”
I can’t help but bounce a little on my toes. I hate the noise, but I put that aside because of how beautiful they are. I can try to stop myself from jumping at every boom because the pay-off is worth it.
Troy gives his younger sister an indulgent smile which is full of pride. Around the time Ruth and Micah got together, Tenley wasn’t doing so well. She was adrift and making bad choices. A friend of the tattoo artists and owner of Vibrant Ink, Wyatt, needed a nanny for the kid left on his doorstep, one he didn’t even know he had. Troy recommended his sister for the job and now she has the life she was always supposed to have—one filled with love and purpose.
You can see the love Tenley has for her son, Ian, even though he’s not her blood. It makes my heart feel light.
“I guess I’ll have to bug you another time, Sarah,” Troy pouts for a moment before he flashes me a big smile. “Duty calls,” he chirps before planting a kiss on my forehead and Tenley’s and then running off.
I can’t help but smile as I shake my head. “He’s a mess,” Tenley’s voice is full of amusement.
“Would you have it any other way?”
“No,” she snorts. “How have you been? With all the kids out of school I bet you’re busy.”
I nod and don’t even attempt to hide my smile. I’m not sure how it happened exactly, but somewhere along the way I was put in charge of watching the kids of the family. There’s a huge range of ages since the couples surrounding me seem to love to grow our family. A lot of kids are school aged, but during the summer I plan a lot of activities and outings.
I treat it like a summer camp, even though I never had the opportunity to go to one of those. In a way, I’m making up for it now.
The family makes sure I’m paid well and I’m always busy. When I’m not out with the kids, most of my time is spent in the playroom in the back of the Banks businesses. If we need more room and Ellie doesn’t have a photoshoot in her studio, we invade Banks Two.
I love that the family has trusted me to take care of the kids. It shows how much they value me, and it’s given me a purpose I wouldn’t have had without these amazing people in my life.
“You know Ian is welcome to come and hang out,” I offer, but I know what her answer will be. Sometimes I watch the little one Tenley and Wyatt have, but Ian doesn’t come around anymore.
“This summer he’s doing football camp almost every day.” She sighs and watches where Ian and Troy are walking off together with matching gleeful expressions. There’s a note of sadness in her voice, “I can’t believe he’s going to be a senior this fall.”
Wyatt’s arms wrap around her from behind and I shoot him a smile as he leans down and whispers something in her ear that has her blushing. I wink at her before giving a little wave and wandering off. I don’t shy away from the affection this family shows, especially when it comes to the men and their women. I never thought it would be something I craved for myself, but I do and it’s a feeling which has been growing lately.
